Element Church Insider

What way to close out the first month of 2010.  Here are my ruminations on the day.

— Might as well start off with the big announcement huh?  Let me set this up as I did at church today…

• Today we shattered the previous non holiday attendance high.  The last two months we’ve pushed the attendance limit at Element.  We are quickly running out of space.  SO, what are we going to do?  We’re going to do what everyone expects us to do.  Today we launched our first ever building campaign.  ONLY this one is different.
• A few months ago, I was gripped with the fact that right here in our city, there are families who are legitimately trying to get back on their feet…some of them homeless.  I was moved by the fact that there are 18,000 applications for affordable housing in our city.  I was challenged by the fact that Cheyenne Interfaith Hospitality Network (ministry organization) is trying to help homeless families get back on their feet but simply needs “more space” to house them.
• SO, for our first ever building campaign…for the first piece of property we own, we are going to purchase, rebuild, restore and redeem a home in our city for people who don’t have one.  That’s right, we are in the process of pursuing a four-plex apartment (two 2 bedroom, 2 one bedroom) that will be used for affordable, homeless transitional housing.  I know that brings up TONS of questions, I explained the plan in the sermon.  You’ll have to watch it to find out otherwise this will take forever.   Updates will be coming soon on the blog.  (www.elementweb.net)  You can watch it right now HERE if you want.  (select the service from the 8:30 hour.  The other two had technical difficulties)
• Imagine a single mom having a place to care for her family or a family being able to start life over again.  What kind of difference could it make  just being able to have a place to START?
• Why are we doing this?  Because THIS is the kind of fasting God wants (Isaiah 58:6-7)
• You’ll have to catch the sermon online cause I’ll just keep going.
• And like I said 2nd and 3rd service, I personally give you permission to SLAP anyone who says “Is that all the announcement was?”  WHAT OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD YOU WANT but that we are living for SOMEONE ELSE!?

—  We launched ninety-days.com today too.  I called out Element Church to a challange today for the next 90 days (Feb. 1 – May 1).  I asked, what will you do to break out of your status with your time, your talents and your treasure for the next 90 days.  I shared in service what I personally will be doing.  At ninety-days.com you can download the three Bible reading plans for the 90 days.  (1 chapter a day, through the NT in 90, or through the BIBLE in 90)

— Make sure and log onto ninety-days.com and let us know what commitments you are making so we can pray for you.  Would love to hear what God is challenging you to do to break out of your status.  You can make a comment to the post on the web0-s

—  Can’t say enough about what Adam and the creative team pulled off today.  AMAZING creative element during worship that was EXTREMELY powerful.  Steve Doolin did a live painting during the last song of worship (Surrender).  He painted the words “chained” on 2 canvases that were displayed on the platform.  At the climax of the song, he then ripped them to shreds with a razor knife only to reveal behind them to lit up signs saying “Breaking Free”.  It was a POWERFUL moment.

—  During that song we showed the live video of the creative element on the screens.  It worked PERFECT.  Thanks Adam and Jeremiah for all your hard work.  And thanks Steve for the OUTSTANDING job doing it.  So good.

— I couldn’t get a good shot of the finished project off my phone.  It was moving!

—  We showed the sermon live online today.  I believe there were over 20 viewers during first service. Glad we could offer that today to people who couldn’t be here.

—  Like I said above, we shattered a previous attendance high today (from last week).  I guess we’ll have to address space issues pretty soon too.  (And trust me, we’ve already been talking about solutions there.  Excited about the possibilities right where we are at)

—  That’s about it for today.  Announced the purchase of a home for the homeless, kicked off our 90 day challenge of breaking free, AND we WILL trust God to provide ALL along the way.  Sounds like a pretty good day to me.

—  Don’t forget.  How do we continue to advance?  1.  Respond to the standard ; 2.  Get over yourself ; 3.  Live for someone else ; 4. Work hard at what you want to be known for.

— Element Church, I LOVE being your pastor. Truly humbled, honored and privileged to lead you.  Can’t want to see what’s next.  The BEST is yet to come!

Till the end,

Jeff

AWESOME weekend overall at Element Church.  Seriously, every week I am completely blown away that God allows me to get to do this.  Here are my ruminations.

—  This weekend we welcomed Joe Sangl from I Was Broke, Now I’m Not based in Anderson, SC to share his wisdom on finances with us.

• Joe has two books and a small group study that offer incredible help in setting a budget, planning your finances and managing your money according to God’s principles and plans.  You can access any of his resources on his website.
• Joe’s budgeting tool is incredibly simple, practical and effective.  I use it personally and in just one years time it has revolutionized our finances.
• Friday night some of our team joined joe and his brother for dinner at Sanfords.  We had a GREAT discussion on church, finances, life and family.  Joe is pursuing God’s vision for his life and is on a crusade to help others do the same.
• Saturday we had two events that Joe led at Element.  Saturday morning we did the Financial Learning Experience (FLE).  About 55 – 60 people attended the FLE and learned practical and applicable steps to make their way toward financial freedom.
• Saturday afternoon Joe led a Financial Counselors Experience (FCE).  We had 12 people who were trained in being financial counselors so they can meet one on one with people who need advice on managing their money.  We are excited to  be able to offer free counseling for people who need an outside perspective and wise counsel in managing their resources.
• One of the biggest reasons I appreciate Joe’s leadership and teaching is that he focus’ NOT on becoming wealthy but on MAXIMIZING the resources God has given us to advance HIS Kingdom.  He consistently talks about financial bondage being a key reason people are not able to pursue and live what God has placed them on this planet for.  Financial freedom helps enable us to do WHATEVER God places us here to do.

—  Our new Life Group season starts up in February.  Got some GREAT groups you can get plugged into and encourage you to at least TRY one for a season.  I said this today at church:  “Because of the size of our church, you are NOT going to feel connected, plugged in, or at home until you get into a Life Group consistently.  People don’t believe me when I tell them, and then they get frustrated that they aren’t connected, but you WILL NOT feel at home until you do.”

—  We are providing a 6 week financial Life Group based on Joe Sangl’s book.  It will be on Thursday evenings.  If you’d like to join that Life Group, let us know via email or the WEB.

—  Had the largest NON-holiday season attendance today at Element.  2nd service was PACKED and 3rd service was VERY full.

—  E:kidz had over 200 kids today.  So glad God didn’t call me to do kids work.  lol  Pastor Derek is doing a GREAT job in there.

—  Today was the last time one of our drummers will play at Element Church (unless God directs otherwise).  Brian and his family have been coming to Element since the 2nd Sunday of Unplugged in June of o7.  Brian’s family got connected to Element by living across the street from Pastor Grant and his family.  He got saved at Element and started playing drums for us early on in our journey.  Brian is an INCREDIBLE worship drummer and will be greatly missed.  The timing and sovereignty of God is SO amazing.  To place his family across from Grant and Terri, bring them to Element, get saved, get connected, all before heading to ENGLAND in the AF is amazing.  Thanks Brian and Jen for being such an integral part of our church!  Love you guys.  You will be missed.

—  Adam and the band were ON IT today.  Such a GREAT spirit of worship was in the place. Can’t say enough how blessed we are with Adam and the band that lead us to the throne of God each week.

—  Had several people ask if the Sunday off was nice.  I told them all, it is amazing how helpful one week not preparing for a Sunday is helpful.  I was able to get sermon prep done all the way through February.

—  Right now, Pastor Kody and I are working on a schedule that would provide at least one Sunday off from preaching every quarter.  It is healthy for the pastor to have Sunday’s off and it is more healthy for the church than they realize.  Keeping other capable voices presenting God’s Word helps them see Truth from a different perspective, AND it teaches the church not to rely on just the senior pastor as their only voice of preaching.

—  I am SO EXCITED for this coming Sunday.  In my message I’ll be announcing something that might be the most pivotal thing we’ve done at Element in our young history.  I’ll also be issuing a challenge to the church that could not only revolutionize our church, I FULLY believe it can revolutionize us PERSONALLY as well.

—  Sunday’s message is so important that we are going to broadcast the sermon live online for those who cannot attend.  It will then be immediately available to watch on Sunday and throughout the week.  We can’t do the whole service with worship due to copyright restrictions, however, the sermon we can and WILL.  Keep watching the blog for the web address where you can watch on Sunday if you can’t be there.  We’ll promote it on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Website and via email.

—  Seriously, DON’T MISS SUNDAY!  It’s not a trick this time.  We’re NOT canceling volunteers or making you take your shoes off and give them away.  We WILL be issuing a challenge AND opportunity that WILL change you and our church if you allow it.  It’s scary.  It’s exciting.  It’s going to advance GOD’S Kingdom in Cheyenne.

—  Did I say don’t miss Sunday?  Preaching from Isaiah 58.  Read it!  You won’t read it and NOT be challenged.  If you don’t want to be challenged…umm don’t come next week.  Praying for FREEDOM for our church and people!

—  Gotta quit.  Vikings game getting ready to start.

Till the end,

Jeff

Well, in sports they call it a tale of two halfs.  Today, for me, I’d call it a tale of 3 services.  Here are my ruminations on the day.

—  Tried out something new today with mixed responses.  Element has seen a tremendous amount of growth through 2009.  We grew by 91% from 2008.  Along with that comes seating issues (which is a GREAT problem to have)  We have 350 chairs in the worship center and have always had “open” seating in our services.  However, with open seating we spread out so much that is nearly impossible for ushers to find seats for late comers effectively.  Over the past several weeks we’ve had to walk people, even guests, to the front row after service started.  While the room seems full, there are really LOTS of available seats, we just can’t find them very well.  TODAY, that changed.

—  Starting today we are roping off the back of the room and only leaving the first several rows open.  When those rows fill up we un-rope the next available row.  We want to have as MANY seats open for people to experience Life and this is the best way for us to accomplish that.  I know this goes against conventional practices of always sitting in “our seat”, but it is by far the best way for us to appropriately sit people as the room fills up.  We want to discreetly and comfortably seat those who come in after the service starts.  AND this opens up all of our available seats.

—  I’ll be honest, I was disappointed, but NOT surprised by some of the responses from people today.  Overall, response was GREAT, but a few people can ruin all the great responses.  I’ll echo what I said a few weeks ago “We are not here to coddle the already convinced or cater to the consistently comfortable.  We are called to help convert those who are yet to believe and challenge the stinkin’ heck out of those who already do.”

—  We appreciate and ask for your patience and grace as we work with this new seating option.  Remember, we sang today “It’s not for US it’s all for YOU (God)!”

—  I really struggled with this weeks sermon.  In fact I re-worked most of it Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  That happens few and far between, but it made for a very uncomfortable pastor going into today.  My late change was pretty major in the overall intent of the message.  Because of the late change, I didn’t feel real comfortable heading into 1st service.

—  The reason I said it was the tale of three services was, I walked off the platform and REALLY did not feel good about my sermon in first service.  I felt much better about it myself after 2nd and 3rd.  Not sure why, I think a lot just has to do with late preparation.

—  I know it is NOT up to how I feel, and had many people say how much it meant to them after first service.  I know it is NOT about me and that the Lord somehow speaks in spite of us.

— I received a comment from a mom today concerning her son that was one of the BEST compliments I have EVER received as a pastor.  Moved me to tears right there in the lobby.  Humbled and blown away by what she said.  Not sure if you read my blog, but THANK YOU!

—  Adam led in some stripped down worship today (that could be taken the wrong way, lol).  Not Element style at all but he did a GREAT job.  Acoustic guitar, djembe and keys.  LOVE Adam’s heart in leading worship.  It doesn’t matter what “style” he’s leading it he gives it 110%.  His worship is genuine and it is contagious.

—  My mom was in church today.  She’s been here the whole weekend helping me out with the kids while my wife was in Orlando on business.  So nice to have her around.  Made things VERY easy on me.  lol  I totally forgot to introduce her in service.  I meant to.  Thanks for being here mom.  I love you!

—  Preached on the parable of the talents today from Matthew 25.  Continued our Facebook series with the Big Question “What should I know about who I am?”  Here are some excerpts:

• We can end up spending WAY to much time trying to figure out WHEN Jesus is coming back, when we should be spending time being READY for His return.
• We fail to realize that God’s grace is more than a work IN us resulting in our salvation.  It also does a work THROUGH us, preparing us to do HIS will in THIS life drawing more people unto HIM.
• He didn’t just save us so we can skip out on hell and make it to Heaven.  He saved us so we can be HIS instruments, advancing HIS Kingdom, on HIS earth until HE comes back.
• Just like I can do nothing to earn my salvation, I can also do nothing to get the gifts, talents or abilities that God chooses to give me.
• If I continually think about who I WANT to be, I can never be used for who I ALREADY am.
• All through Scripture, God took messed up people and flipped the stinkin’ world upside down.  Why can’t He use you?
• A lot of people are waiting on God for their golden opportunity, all the while they are walking through life missing TODAY’S!
• If you’re still breathing, God still has a plan for you.  It may not be the same plan from when you are 20, but it’s your BEST plan for today.
• We often think that something has to LOOK important in order for it to BE significant.  “I’m ONLY a greeter!”  There is no ONLY in the Kingdom of God.
• Compared to God, everyone of our abilities, talents, roles and positions are POINTLESS.  Meaningless, tiny and MINUTE.  But BECAUSE of God they are ALL significant.
• I think Jesus would rather us TRY to do something and lose it all, than do NOTHING and give it all back!
• Jesus didn’t save me so I could do SOMETHING for Him, He saved me so EVERYTHING I do is for Him!

—  If you haven’t signed up for this Saturday’s Financial Learning Experience you can do so right HERE.  It is from 9 – 11 AM and then counselor training from 1 – 5 PM. GREAT opportunity for GREAT financial training.  Joe Sangl will be here teaching us.  DON’T MISS IT!

— Fusion students have been up in Winterpark on a winter retreat over the weekend.  Can’t wait to hear what God did in our students’ lives.  Already hearing good reports back from there.

—  Glad the Vikings won.  Hoping they pull off the upset in New Orleans next Sunday.

—  That’s all folks.  Hope you have an AWESOME week.

Till the end,

Jeff